ArchiveJanuary 2014

So much for that. After pledging he would bring motions that could save more than $60-million to Toronto city council’s budget debate this week, Mayor Rob Ford failed to deliver. In the end, the motions he presented were based on shaky facts and only a fraction of them were relevant to the 2014 operating budget and the city’s property tax rates. Most of them were defeated handily, as expected...

Published on Wed Jan 29 2014 Today marks the beginning of Toronto City Council’s debate on the city’s 2014 operating and capital budgets. If it’s anything like other budget debates under the Ford administration, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. The budget, which isn’t even balanced, will be rewritten on the floor of council while Mayor Rob Ford stews in his seat. The drama will be increased by...

By: Metro Published on Mon Jan 27 2014 Less than a month into Toronto’s 2014 municipal campaign, it’s already become clear what this election will really be about. It’ll be about Mayor Rob Ford. In October, we’re going to have a referendum on whether his scandals and behaviour are enough to keep him out of office. It was probably naïve to ever think this race could be about anything else. Still...

By: Metro Published on Fri Jan 24 2014 Despite it being developed under his administration, strained by his subway plan and shaped by his appointees, Mayor Rob Ford called Toronto’s 2014 operating budget the worst budget ever. That’s probably an overstatement, but when it’s finally approved by city council next week, this budget could be one of the most irresponsible budgets since amalgamation...

Published on Wed Jan 22 2014 Yeah, this again. Rob Ford turned up in an embarrassing internet video yesterday, looking pretty drunk while swearing and attempting to speak with a Jamaican accent. Asked about the video, he admitted that, yep, he had been drinking on Monday night. He seemed real blasé about it too, as if his drinking didn’t fly in the face of all the promises he had made about...

Mayor Rob Ford spent some time this week doing some things and saying some stuff. None of what he did or said was very interesting or at all relevant to the future of the city. So let’s try to ignore him. There are better places to direct our attention. Take, for example, David Soknacki, the first major candidate to officially register his intention to run against the mayor this year. While Ford...